Guard-finger



R. W. WALKER.

(No Model.)

GUARD FINGER.

Patented Aug. 3, 1886.

% 1 ttomw %Mj UNITED STATES PATENT Faroe,

RANDALL XV. XVALKER, OF OXFORD, NIMV YORK.

GUARD FINGER.

S'PECI'ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346568, dated August 3, 1886,

Application filed September 15, 1385. Serial No. 171488. (No model.)

I do hereby declare that the following is a -full, clear, and exact description of the same,

reference being had to the annexed (lrawings, making a part of this specilieation, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.`

Figure l of the drawings is a perspcetive view of my invention; Fig. 2, an under side plan view, and Fig. 3 a detail plan View, of the ledger-plate. Fig. t is a section on the line a' a; of Fig. 2.

The present invention has relation. to certain new and useful inprovements in guardfingers for harvesters; and the object thereof is to provide a sinple and effective means of detachably connecting the ledger-plate to the finger, whereby it can be rcadily removed therefrom for sharpening, and quickly replaced and secured in position.

A 'further object of the invention is to form the ledger-plate of the same width as the reciprocating cutters of the harvesters, and have the knife-edges of the blade of the same angle to correspoud with the cuttingcdges of the cutters or reciproeating knives, whereby a more perfect shear cut is obtained, and consequentl y rendering the joint operation of the fingers and reciprocating cutters nore effectve.

The above object I attain by the Construction substantiall y as shown in the drawings, and hereinafter described and claimed.

In the aceompanying drawings, A represents a guard-finger, which may be of any of the usual forms, the cross-bar a thereof having lugs b a suitable distance from the ends of the bar. The inner ends of the lugs b are beveled in opposite directions to form a space, c, between the lugs, to receive a correspondingly-formed heel, d, at the rear end of the ledger-plate B. This plate B is forned with what I term a lock-slot, c, the forward end of the slot having an opening of the form and size to correspond with that of the head of a screw, f, bolt, or other like fastening, used to secure the ledger-plate in position, the lock-slot being nortised at its rear end to receive the head of the screw.

When it is desired to remove the plate B, the fastening or screw f is loosened sul'fi.- ciently to allow the rear end of the plate to be raised above the plane of the lugs b, after which the plate is moved back until the head of the screw is over and on a line with the opening in the forward end of the slot, when the plate may be disconneeted from its fastening and removed from the guard-finger. The ledger-plate may be replaced in like manner, and when in position and the fastening screwed down until the head thereof is seated in the mortise of the slot, the heel of 'the plate fitting in the space between the lugs and extending around and abutting against the outer ends thereof, holds the plate stationary and prevents it from working loose, as Well as taking the strain off of the fastening.

As will be noticed, the plate B is not only forned with the heel (Z, but cars or projections h, which abut against the outer ends of the lugs I), as above described.

The ledger-plate is of a size to correspond with the knives F, (see Fig. 4,) and is sharpened from the under side, as seen at y. The cutters F are beveled from the upper side, as scen at f Fig. 4.

By constructing the ledger-plate of a width equal to the width of the knives on the reciprocating bar a nice clean shcar cut is ob tained, such ledger-plate being eapable of use on most all guard-fingers, and being also made detachable.

I am aware that lcdger-platcs have been securcd between projections at each end, and that eutters have been secured to their bars by lockingslots and screws; but in the latter case intermediate cutters could not be removed without first removing the prior ones of the series. I provide a guarddinger with a ledger-plate having projections at each end, and the ledger-plate Secured to the finger by a single screw which opcrates in a lockingslot in the plate. To remove the ledgenplate for sharpening or other purpose, itis only necessary to loosen the screw sufficiently to allow the plate to pass over the projections b. screw until the plate may pass the projeetions In this eombnation lies the novelty of this b, and without removing the screw, as set invention. forth.

What I claim as new is- In testimony that I claim the above I have 5 The combnation, with the finger A, having he'eunto subseribed myname in the presence projeetions b, and with the single securingof two witnesses. screw f, of the led er-plate B, having lookingslot e, With the enfarged openings at each end, RANDALL XVALKER" the rear one being eountersunk, and reeesses to receive thesaid projeetions'b, whereby the ledger-plate may be removed by loosening the i WVitnesses:

WVM. O. NASH, M. M. ROWLEY. 

